Glue sticks are commonly used in the stationery field to glue paper and other craft materials to one another or to other materials, and such products are typically used by both adults and children. Commercially available glue stick formulations typically utilize either a polyvinylpyrrolidone (PVP) or a modified-poly(vinyl acetate) (PVA) polymer, although PVP-based formulations typically provide better performance compared with modified-PVA formulas, including ease of lubricity, package stability, and better adhesion.
Although modified PVA-based products can be formulated to deliver faster adhesion development, they often lack many of the aforementioned properties of PVP-based formulas. Material and formulation properties such as non-toxicity, ease of application from a suitable dispenser, and water based clean-up are important to the end-user of such glue formulations. While commercially available glue sticks typically possess these properties, such products have not found strong utility in and/or acceptance for Do-It-Yourself (DIY) applications, such as home improvement and repair, craft, and construction projects, due to the increased adhesion properties desired in these applications. Thus, there is a need for glue formulations that provide the benefits of both PVA-based and PVP-based formulas and that provide, among other properties, high adhesion, non-toxicity, ease of application from a suitable dispenser, and water based clean-up.